Partnership with Save the Children
Partnership with the International Rescue Committee
Literacy levels in Pakistan are today among the lowest in South Asia. As per the Pakistan Education Task Force’s Education Emergency Report, 1 in 10 of the world’s children that do not go to primary school lives in Pakistan. Women’s literacy is also an issue: 67% of rural women have never attended school, and over 41% of women aged 15-24 are illiterate.
APF recognizes the critical need to address the education crisis in Pakistan. We have prioritized our Education initiatives following the 2010 floods. The massive floods damaged or destroyed thousands of schools in Pakistan and left millions of children without a safe place for an education. Many schools are filled with debris from the floods, have suffered extreme water damage, or are being used as temporary relief shelters.
APF has partnered with Save the Children and the International Rescue Committee to focus on school rebuilding and rehabilitation.
Save the Children
APF partnered with Save the Children to rehabilitate 8 damaged schools in the district of Jhal Magsi in Balochistan province. As a result of this program 1,180 children, approximately 40% of which are girls, now have access to a safe environment and a quality education.
Program Overview
Save the Children initially assessed 23 schools in different union councils. Schools were assessed based on the level of physical damage, community support, and the number of children who would benefit from the rehabilitation
Save the Children selected 8 schools to rehabilitate under the APF-funded project. All major repairs and maintenance work has been completed - which includes reinforcing school structures, laying new floors, painting, reconstructing boundary walls, and building water and sanitary facilities.
Save the Children has trained 25 male and 14 female teachers, launched Back-to-School campaigns, and created education kits for the fall
The communities have also been mobilized by the formation of Parent Teacher School Management Committees, in which members are trained on providing emotional support, encouraging resiliency and coping, and disaster risk reduction. These committees will also be responsible for monitoring repair work, enhancing the children's attendance, and sharing progress with the Education Department.
Save the Children also held health and hygiene education sessions near the schools, which were attended by local community members. These participatory sessions covered topics such as hygiene, hand washing, and prevention of diseases.
About Save the Children
Save the Children is a leading nonprofit organization that creates real and lasting change for children in need. Save the Children's self-help approach to relief, recovery and ongoing development has helped millions of children and their families. Save the Children responds to emergencies and disasters with food, medical care and education and remains in the community to help it rebuild through long-term recovery programs. In addition, the organization aims to effect long-term, sustainable development in some of the poorest and most conflict-ridden communities in the world. Save the Children has offices in 120 countries and has worked in Pakistan since 1979. Click here to read more about Save the Children's emergency response work in Pakistan.
International Rescue Committee
APF is partnering with the International Rescue Committee to rehabilitate 3 schools in Charsadda and Nowshera in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province. The IRC’s work on 9 schools in these regions will allow 3,040 students to attend school in a safe and supportive environment.
Program Overview:
IRC conducted an initial needs assessment on the schools to observe the level of damage and amount of debris
IRC is working with teachers and communities to increase the enrollment of out-of-school children and to improve the education resources available.
During the summer of 2011 IRC nearly completed all physical rehabilitation work at the 9 targeted schools, including the construction of 8 new latrines and 4 new hand-washing stations as well as the rehabilitation of 33 latrines and 5 hand-washing stations. IRC also installed 5 new water boreholes with hand pumps to provide clean drinking water for the schools.
IRC replaced lost school supplies, including teaching resources, learning materials, and all classroom furniture. IRC is also distributing hygiene supplies such as soap, latrine brushes, water buckets, cotton rolls, combs, brooms, dustbins, and cleaning fluid.
IRC established Parent-Teacher Committees (PTCs) at each school and conducted a two-day training session for all 72 members. The PTCs have each held five monthly meetings, addressing topics such as teacher absenteeism, appropriate use of PTC funds, and other school-specific needs. The PTCs will also encourage increased student enrollment within their communities.
IRC also trained teachers over the summer on progressive skills for the classroom, such as active and cooperative learning, student involvement, teamwork, lesson planning, and classroom management. IRC held a three-day training session for all 36 male and 35 female teachers at the 9 schools.
About the International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a global relief and development organization which responds to the world’s worst crises to help people survive and rebuild their lives. It is a global leader in relief, rehabilitation, protection, post-conflict development, resettlement services, and advocacy for those affected by conflict and oppression. For over 75 years, the IRC has offered lifesaving care and life-changing help to refugees forced to flee from conflict or disaster. The IRC currently works over 40 countries and has had a presence in Pakistan since 1980. Click here for more information on IRC in Pakistan.
